Sugar, Sugar Substitutes
or Honey
Hmmm....Let Me Think.....

It is I grant you, if you are partial to "sweet" foods and drinks an absolute minefield when it comes to making a choice. Most of us wish to gain and maintain good health but manufactures make it very difficult for us by their choice of wording on their labels.

Raw honey is the perfect healthy sugar substitute a golden, sticky delight and one of the most natural foods you will ever benefit from eating.

Yes you are right, ordinary table sugar has 46 calories in a single tablespoon in comparison to the 64 calories found in a tablespoon of honey.

However, because honey is sweeter than table sugar, less of it is generally used for sweetening which means the amount of calories in honey are really nothing to overly concern you.

When comparing Honey Nutrition with any other sugar substitute honey easily takes the win, simply because table sugar or any artificial sugar substitutes; do not have the vitamins and minerals that are found in honey.

In fact, table sugar lacks vitamins and minerals in general, which is why it is commonly referred to as "empty calories" because it has no nutritional value whatsoever. Sugar also raises cholesterol and contributes to obesity.

Have you ever experienced or seen a child experience what they call a sugar rush? I have witnessed this many times unfortunately. Children have a tendency to stuff their faces with sweets, candy and soda pops, all full of chemicals and suddenly develop this ADHD Syndrome.

They are literally buzzing with a form of false energy which brings them down as quickly as they rise after eating this poison.

This really is a good argument in favour of honey versus sugar don't you think! Encourage them in the art of making better choices not only for health reasons but also if you want them to calm down a bit!

It is not difficult to change their habits or indeed encourage them not to start. They can have sweet, sticky candies that are going to help keep them healthy also. A little example, when my children were young we made toffee apples by washing apples and drying them.

We would then insert a stick (you can buy these easily) smother the apples with honey and cover them in chopped almonds. (Be careful if you have a nut allergy). A delicious way of eating honey and a delicious healthy candy.

Analysing honey versus sugar at the molecular level actually proves it to be a form of simple sugars containing ingredients that have been pre-digested which help our own digestive systems.

Sugar is made from sucrose, which is comprised of two molecules that are bonded together.

When consumed, the human stomach produces enzymes for the purpose of separating the two molecules before the false energy that sugar contains can actually be used.

On the other hand, honey bees have added their own enzymes to the nectar with which they make their honey. This works easily to divide the sucrose into simple sugars, fructose and glucose.

The human body is able to then directly absorb and benefit from eating. That sounded a bit scientific didn't it? But you understand the principal. Basically honey enters our bodies and if far easier to digest.

The honey making process results in honey having a much healthier Glycemic Index, or GI, which is the measure of the negative reaction of food on the blood's glucose levels.

A lower GI means that the sugars absorb more slowly into the bloodstream, which supports a healthier, more gradual digestion procedure also providing long lasting energy.

When making descions concerning honey versus sugar, there really is no comparison. For those who are concerned about maintaining good health and watching their weight, but do not wish to extract their sweet tooth in the process, honey is by far a healthier choice than ordinary white table sugar or any many other sugar substitutes.

Every known artificial chemical sweetener is a sugar substitute. Most of them are forms of toxic poisons in particular high fructose corn syrup and white refined table sugar.

Why these are still used in our food chain and have been given approval to be used is beyond me! It can only be because they are cheap.

Avoid them at all costs if you possibly can, in fact every type of corn syrup is bad for you. It is believed these two products are the two biggest contributors to many of our health ailments today.

They are extremely acidic to the body and highly dangerous causing calcium and other mineral depletion from our bones and vital organs.

Stevia is a popular sweetener said to be 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar; It is not a sugar as such, although many people favor this one if trying to lose weight. It’s still a chemical you could do without.

Xylitol is an interesting one because it is made from certain fibers of fruits and vegetables. However, it is known to cause bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence. It is often the main sweetener in chewing gums.

Agave Nectar, a mis-leading name! Is another plant sweetener made from the Blue Agave plant. It contains monosaccharide’s which are mainly fructose, but none of the incredible enzymes that honey has.

Rice Syrup (particularly brown) gains its sweetness from maltose. This should be avoided at all costs by diabetics, because it causes rapid spikes in blood sugar.

Turbinado often called misleadingly raw sugar, is actually processed sugar and refined! Raw sugar is known by many different names depending on how refined it is. Beware aware of this.

Sweet sorghum contains a very high sugar content and is mainly sold in the form of a syrup. Yet another to avoid, too much proccessing has gone into this.

Coconut Palm Sugar Originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm but now more commonly made from the sap of coconut palms. This appears to be popular with people obsessed with good health issues. And once again, the big boys get on the bandwagon by naming it "coconut nectar".

Maltodextrin, any food source that uses this product often name them as "Low in Sugar" or contains "Complex Carbohydrates", this is to tempt you into buying them and yet another sugar substitute you should avoid.

Truvia is a sugar substitute made from the same plant as Stevia. It was actually created by two companies, one being "Cargill" and the other "Coca Cola" Shortened to Coke, it is by far the most popular soda drink ever invented!

Although as nice tasting as it is there is nothing in these ingredients to benefit your body.

If at all possible try to wean yourself and children away from this, it will give an instant "sugar spike" however, this does not last for long and can cause hyperactivity in the short term.

In fact any type of soda if sold in an aluminum can is extremely dangerous to your health and will certainly contain bad sugar substitutes!

I have kept this next one till last; it is the "pretend varieties" of Raw or Organic honey! There are many types of these on sale and some of them label them as "Special Blends".

More often than not they have been blended with high fructose corn syrup! Very hard to distinguish from the real thing, however, if it is really cheap in price or you are at all wary then leave it on the shelf.

The only real Healthy Sugar Substitute is the real stuff Raw Honey which apart from being so versatile actually contains antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients.

It is unprocessed or refined, considered a super food by many clued up alternative health care practitioners, is healing, nutritious and the "King/Queen" of any other forms of sugar substitutes.

There are a few other healthy choices mostly in the form of fruits which are very good for eating or sweetening.

Dates, figs, raisins, chopped apricots and mashed banana are particulary nice if added to a bowl of muesli or oats with a spoonful of honey, an excellent breakfast, and even just to nibble on as healthier sweet choices in place of candies.

Try if you possibly can to use fresh fruit juices with water and a spoonful of good quality honey, Raw Honey if possible. Not only does this taste delicious but can be used as a highly nutritious honey drink.

It is not only super good for you but will not "promote hyperactivity" in children, every parents nightmare, and provides them with long lasting energy they and you need to help you through your day.

Yes, even for the sweetest recipes, honey requires less of an amount to achieve a natural sweetness, thus making it a lower calorie selection.

It also carries carbohydrates, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that just aren't found in sugar and other chemical substitutes.

There are some recipes where you may need to use some sugar but use unrefined brown sugar if you can and honey for part of the recipe as a brown sugar substitute.

Overall, the comparison of honey versus sugar really isn't much of a comparison after all.

Whilst all those I have listed are sweet to the taste this is where their comparison ends. Only honey provides the sweetness that is craved by many, has the versitality of <"strong> everything sweet" whilst at the same time, providing us all real health benefits through its consumption.

So dollop on the Honey, Honey, because not everything that is good for you tastes nasty and when you discover the Benefits of Eating Honey you will begin to wonder why you ever bought that sugar or those sugar substitutes in the first place!